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June 19, 2008

Jet Airways Hong Kong Strategy Takes Flight

by Sam Savage

By Li, Benjamin

HONG KONG Jet Airways is looking to shift perceptions of Indian brands in Hong Kong as the airline makes its debut in the city. The launch came after the the Hong Kong and Indian Governments broke a longstanding deadlock on bilateral air traffic rights by agreeing to increase services between the two countries to 27 new direct flight services for each side on India-Hong Kong routes last December.

Jet has tasked global agency-of-record M&C Saatchi, along with Starcom, with its Hong Kong launch campaign, which accompanies its first route to Mumbai.

"This is more than just a campaign to launch a new route but to debut Jet Airways as a new brand in Hong Kong and China, targeting current and potential frequent business travellers to India," said Sylvia Lee, managing director at M&C Saatchi Hong Kong.

Jet Airways regional manager Koh Kay Yew said that the new campaign needs "to educate the Hong Kong public, as some may confuse us with the budget airline JetStar".

"They may have a misconception that Indian airlines are not so premium, so we are trying to set the mindset right with our corporate slogan 'Change the way you fly to India'," Koh added.

The campaign is based around outdoor executions that attempt to reinforce the airline's links to business travellers, via the tagline 'Big business has arrived'.

The city's Airport Express station, for example, features jumbo- sized cigars, fountain pens and box files and business envelopes.